Topographic Surveys in Southern Ontario

Topographic and Existing-Conditions Surveys

Planning a new home, an addition, a pool, a landscape project or a commercial development? Your architect, engineer or designer needs accurate existing grades and site features before design can start. Geo Vision Surveying Inc provides topographic and existing-conditions surveys for residential lots and commercial sites across Southern Ontario. We work with homeowners, builders, architects, engineers and contractors to agree exactly what needs to be captured, so the survey supports the design without paying for detail nobody needs.

What's Included

Within the agreed survey area, a topographic survey typically records:

• Spot elevations and ground breaklines, used to generate contours
• Buildings, additions, decks, sheds and other structures
• Driveways, paving, curbs, walkways and retaining walls
• Trees and landscaping features agreed in the scope
• Visible utilities such as manholes, catch basins, valves, hydrants and poles
• Ditches, swales, culverts and other drainage features
• Finished floor or door-sill elevations where needed for design
• Buried utilities from locate marks, only when the scope requires them

Before fieldwork we confirm the features to include, the level of detail, tolerances and deliverables with you or your design team.

When You Need a Topographic Survey

• Before designing a new home, infill build or addition
• Before a site plan, grading plan or drainage design is prepared
• Before installing a pool, retaining wall or major landscaping
• When an engineer needs existing grades for a driveway, parking area or site works
• Before construction layout, so the design ties to real ground conditions
• When your municipality or designer asks for existing-conditions information

Equipment and Methods

We choose the method to suit the site and the detail required. Most topographic work is measured with robotic total stations and GPS/GNSS receivers, tied to an established elevation reference. On larger open sites, drone mapping can support data collection, available on request where suitable. For complex buildings, interiors or dense features, SLAM LiDAR scanning can add detail. Coverage, data formats and the level of detail are agreed before work begins.

Underground utilities aren't visible at the surface. If the scope requires buried utilities to be shown, locates are requested through Ontario Dig Authority (formerly Ontario One Call) before fieldwork, and we survey the locate marks along with the other site features.

We can contract an Ontario Land Surveyor on your behalf.

Deliverables

Deliverables are confirmed in the quotation and typically include:

• A CAD drawing of existing features, spot elevations and contours
• A PDF plan for review and sharing with your design team
• Point or coordinate files in an agreed format
• Notes on the elevation reference used

Our Process

1. Tell us about the project. Send the site address, a short project description and any requirements from your architect or engineer.
2. Agree the scope. We confirm the survey area, features, level of detail, tolerances and deliverables, then send a quote.
3. Field survey. Our crew measures the site and checks the data before leaving.
4. Drafting and review. We prepare the drawing and check it against the field data.
5. Delivery. You and your design team receive the agreed files, and we answer any follow-up questions.

Examples: a topographic survey in Cambridge, a topographic survey in Simcoe and a topographic survey in Oakville. Once design is approved, we provide construction layout, grading surveys and as-built surveys.